Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Music

The Etymology of Literary Vocabulary

Literature

The etymology of this word comes from Latin: Littera (letter of the alphabet) and the suffix -ure (the process of letters). However, neither the Greeks nor the Romans had a word for what we nowadays understand as literature.

Poetic and Metric Terminology

Poetry

Poetry is defined as: “a poem, ancient literature, poetical works, fables, or tales.” The etymology of this word has several origins:

• From Greek: Poieo, which means ‘to create’.
• From Old French: poetrie.
• Perhaps directly from Medieval Latin: poetria.
• Also from Latin: poeta.

Verse

The term Verse comes from Late Old English (replacing Old English fers, an early West Germanic borrowing directly from Latin), meaning “line or section of a psalm... Continue reading "Etymology of Literature, Poetry, and Drama Terms" »

MAJOR GENRES

Musical Instruments: A Comprehensive Guide

Chordophones

Chordophones are instruments that produce sound by strings vibrating when plucked, picked, bowed, or struck.

Membranophones

Membranophones are instruments that are played by striking a membrane.

Idiophones

Idiophones are instruments that self-vibrate by being moved or struck in various ways.

Electrophones

Electrophones are instruments that produce sounds from electronic recreation and modification.

The Human Voice

The human voice is an aerophone. Although we have vocal cords, we need to exhale air for our voices to produce sound. We use our voices to express ourselves using words and music together.

Another way the human voice acts as a musical instrument is through the use of vocables, which are... Continue reading "Musical Instruments: A Comprehensive Guide to Chordophones, Membranophones, Idiophones, Electrophones, and the Human Voice" »

African Music

Djembe

The djembe is a solid wooden drum with a goat skin stretched over the top. Played with the hands, it produces three distinct sounds. Originally, the djembe served as an effective communication device across the Malian Empire.

Calabash

The calabash is half of a hollowed pumpkin gourd played with the hands. Sometimes rings are placed around one or more fingers, or two small sticks are used.

Kora

The kora is a 21-string bridge harp attached to a calabash gourd with cowhide stretched over the front. This gives the instrument a slightly different sound than a European harp.

Bira Ceremony

The Bira ceremony involves singing, dancing, clapping, and the shaking of the hosho (rattle) made from smaller gourds. Master musicians playing the... Continue reading "World Music Exploration: Instruments and Genres" »

Essential Literary Terms and Definitions

Definitions for key literary devices and concepts found on textbook pages 18, 35, 123, 137, 156, 168, and 198.

• Assonance: The repetition of similar vowel sounds in unrhymed, stressed syllables.
• Alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds in stressed syllables.
• Elegy: A formal poem mourning the loss of someone or something important.
• Folk Epic: A long narrative poem originating from ancient times, about heroes, typically recited or sung, and passed orally from generation to generation (e.g., Beowulf).
• Literary Epic: A long narrative poem about heroes, originally written by an individual author (e.g., Homer's Odyssey).
• Epic Conventions: Traditional characteristics or features found in epic poetry.

Understanding Classical Music (18th-19th C.)

What Does "Classical" Mean?

The word Classical is often used to describe music that isn't pop, rock, or jazz, but it specifically refers to music from the late 18th to the early 19th century.

Key Characteristics

Classical music features characteristics such as:

• A sound that is richer and more structured.
• A freer, more expressive style compared to earlier periods.

Opera Styles

Opera Seria

Opera seria is the Italian term for serious opera. These were 18th-century operas in Italian, typically about ancient Greek gods and heroes.

Opera Buffa

Composers soon began to write operas in a lighter, comic style. In Italy, this new type of opera was known as opera buffa.

Major Classical Music Forms

Key characteristics of... Continue reading "Classical, Romantic & 20th Century Music: Forms & Features" »

HAUT MUSIC:

Composed by instruments with great sound power. These were groups intended for outdoor performances or public events.

BAS MUSIC:

Composed by instruments of soft sound intensity. These were groups intended for indoor performances.

INSTRUMENTS:

String (lute and vihuela) and keyboard (organ and harpsichord).

FAMOUS COMPOSERS:

Clement Janequin, Martin Luther, Juan del Enzina, Claudio Monteverdi, John Dowland, Antonio de Cabezón, Luis de Narváez.

Dance:

2 types of dances: Popular dance and country dance.

SOCIAL DANCES:

Pavane: is a processional dance with a slow and ceremonious binary rhythm. Galliard: is a dance in ternary and animated rhythm, with a more demanding choreography. Jardin de las Delicias: In the picture 'The Garden of Earthly Delights'... Continue reading "Music in the Renaissance Era" »

Gregorian Chants: We call them Gregorian chants, in honor of Pope Gregory I (540-604), who was their first compiler. Western music comes from the medieval chants of the Catholic Church.

Characteristics of Gregorian Chants:

• The song is a capella, only voice with no instruments.
• The subject is religious. It is a prayer.
• All the voices sing the same melody, so the texture is monophonic or monodic.
• The language is Latin.
• Its rhythm is free (without a time signature) and it flows with the text.
• The authors are anonymous.

Troubadours: Troubadours are in the countryside playing instruments of the period (the harp, bagpipe, and shawm). Songs were not religious. It developed mainly in France in the 12^th and 13^th centuries.

Characteristics of Troubadour Music:

Musical Piece Descriptions

1. Lied: Starts with aggressive piano playing. A man singing opera comes in later, then it goes back to only piano for a brief period.
2. Lied: Soft and slow piano to start. A man singing opera in German, with elongated singing. Super slow piano playing.
3. Lied: Starts with soft piano, a girl singing opera comes in soon.
4. Parlor Song: Piano starts slow. A girl singing "Beautiful Dreamer."
5. Character Piece: Soft, high piano playing to start. Slows down then speeds up again, repeated. The piano gets a little louder. No singing.
6. Nocturne: Loud piano playing, slow playing. Gets quick 45 seconds in. Still calm sounding, but fast. No singing.
7. Etude: Super fast piano playing. Super aggressive then pause, then super aggressive again. Slamming